Knight's Strength, Flower's Thorns
by BronzeDragonflower
Summary: Sequel to Knight Falls, Gold Fades. "There's no backing out of the Jeff Hardy School of Wrestling. I've already buried your money and keys in the woods. If you want out, you're going to have to earn them back through hard work."


Knight's Strength, Flower's Thorns

Chapter 1

Ana stood nervously in the center of the ring wearing borrowed knee and elbow pads. Jeff knew she was afraid, but he couldn't make this easy for her.

"Okay, the first thing you need to learn how to do is fall properly," Jeff said, his cane thumping on the mat as he circled her. "When I say go, you tuck you chin, clap your hands together, fall on your back and slap the mat as you land. Like this." Jeff hooked his cane on the top rope to get it out of the way, then demonstrated a bump for her. It hurt his ribs like hell, but he'd known it would and he was ready for it.

"Now do it with me," Jeff said. "Three, two, one, go!" Ana gamely threw herself back, and they both hit the mat with a loud thud. Ana groaned and got back up.

"Not bad, again!" Jeff ordered. "Three, two, one, go!" Again they crashed to the mat.

"Tuck your chin! Again. Three, two, one, go!" This time Jeff crashed to the mat alone, while Ana just stood there. "What're you waiting for?" Jeff asked.

"I can't! It hurts!" Ana protested.

"Of course it hurts. I told you it would, and you'll get used to it. But if I can do this with cracked ribs, you can too," Jeff said. Ana turned to walk away, but Jeff grabbed his cane and carefully whacked her in the back of the knee, knocking her down. She just stared up at him in shock.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jeff asked, standing over her. "The lesson's not over."

"I changed my mind. I don't want to do this," Ana replied.

"Tough cookies," Jeff said. "There's no backing out of the Jeff Hardy School of Wrestling. I've already buried your money and keys in the woods. If you want out, you're going to have to earn them back through hard work."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Ana cried.

"Because I love you," Jeff answered. "I want you to get better."

"I hate you!" Ana shouted before rolling out of the ring and running into the woods.

Jeff just watched her go, knowing he wasn't up to chasing after her. He'd had a feeling the first lesson would go something like this, but it had still hurt to hear her say those words. If he had been one to let the fear of pain, even emotional pain, stop him, he would've been the wrong one to teach her.

Jeff sat on the mat and began stretching out. He'd been out of the ring for over a month, and he needed to recondition himself. His leave of absence wasn't going to last forever. Hopefully getting in the ring with Ana would kill two birds with one stone. Jeff worked out as best he could alone, deliberately not thinking about Ana. He didn't want to dwell on how the whole thing could backfire in his face, or he might lose the nerve to go through with it.

Finally it started getting late, and Ana hadn't come back, so he figured he'd better go fetch her before the sun set and she got lost. On a hunch, Jeff grabbed a shovel and flashlight and took them with him. It didn't take too long to find her. The woods were big, but not too thick and twisty. Ana was sitting on a fallen log, her eyes red from crying and her hands covered in mud. Jeff sat next to her cautiously.

"Find anything?" he asked. Ana shook her head. "I brought you a shovel," he offered.

Ana gave a bitter laugh. "Are you going to tell me where my stuff is?"

"No," Jeff replied. "But I'll help you dig. Look, I even brought a flashlight. We've got all night, or at least until the battery runs out."

Ana took him up on his offer and had him digging potholes in the woods until the flashlight died. By then, most of her anger had ebbed.

"Uh, oh," Ana said, holding the dead flashlight. "Now what?"

"I guess we're stuck out here 'till morning," Jeff said. He could have probably led them home in the dark; he knew approximately where they were, but he had a point to prove. They were near a small stream, so they both washed the mud off their hands, and in Jeff's case, blood. He'd gotten blisters on his hands from digging, and they had long since broken open. Ana didn't know that, though.

Jeff settled down in some fallen leaves to sleep. At first Ana sat off to the side, uncomfortable with joining him, but he could tell she was jumpy at all the night sounds. City girl. Eventually she joined him and before they fell asleep, he heard her whisper, "I don't hate you, Jeff." They slept tucked together in the damp, itchy leaves.

* * *

They both awoke at dawn to birds singing overhead. Ana sat up with leaves in her hair and looked at him.

"Thank God it's morning," she said. "I can't wait to get a shower…and some food."

Jeff looked around. "Hey, I know where we are. We'll be home in no time." He struggled to his feet, grabbed the shovel, and headed home, leaning on it for support. Ana followed with the flashlight.

After they showered and changed, Ana wrapped Jeff's hands in gauze while he hissed in pain.

"Why did you do this? Why didn't you tell me last night your hands were bleeding?" Ana asked.

Jeff shrugged. "I told you I would help you dig. It's not a big deal. Besides, I figured you needed some revenge or you would've been mad at me forever."

"You must be crazy," Ana said, shaking her head.

"Not really," Jeff responded. "I did it for you to prove a point. We spent half the night digging potholes 'till my hands bled, looking for your keys that I buried because I'm a sadistic bastard. Our flashlight died and we spent the night cold, damp, itchy, uncomfortable, and hungry. We could've avoided the whole thing if I'd just given up the location. But you know what? Then you wouldn't have a great story to tell some day. Life is boring when you try too hard to avoid pain."

Ana just stared at him then walked away, laughing and shaking her head. "Let's go eat."

"How're you feeling today?" Jeff asked as she fried up some eggs.

"My neck's a bit sore, but it's not too bad," she replied.

"Good, that means we can get back in the ring after breakfast," Jeff said.

Ana groaned. "You're really going to hold me to this, aren't you? You're really going to hold my keys hostage so I can't leave," she asked.

"That's right," Jeff answered. "Besides, I need your help getting back into shape for my big comeback. So really, you'll be doing me a favor."

"Well, when you put it that way," Ana said.


End file.
